


I'd be home with you

by MayBeBrilliant



Series: Birthdays of S.H.I.E.L.D. [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Airports, Beaches, But also she is funny, Established Relationship, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Flying, Gen, Holidays, Jemma is nostalgic, Parasailing, Surprises, Swimming, actually, and Daisy is a little shit, and Philinda, general fun and fluffiness, so is Fitz, waking up together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-15 13:01:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28689081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayBeBrilliant/pseuds/MayBeBrilliant
Summary: The closer her birthday gets, the more nostalgic Jemma is feeling. It's a good thing Fitz has the best birthday present ever planned...Along with Coulson and May and, of course, Daisy.Title from Hozier's 'In a Week.'
Relationships: Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons, Phil Coulson & Leo Fitz & Melinda May & Jemma Simmons & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Phil Coulson/Melinda May (minor)
Series: Birthdays of S.H.I.E.L.D. [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2040905
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	I'd be home with you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [besidemethewholedamntime](https://archiveofourown.org/users/besidemethewholedamntime/gifts).



> Dear Rebecca, 
> 
> Happy birthday!! I hope this stupid virus doesn't affect what you want to do too much, and that you still manage to have a fantastic time. 
> 
> I know we don't talk much, but you never fail to make me smile, whether it's with your lovely personality or your beautiful blog. You're genuinely one of the nicest people I've met online, and on top of that so TALENTED. 
> 
> I'm really glad I got the excuse to write you this Fitzsimmons fluffiness, and I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> Many thanks to my wonderful beta [browneyedgenius](https://browneyedgenius.tumblr.com) for all her help!
> 
> Without further ado on my part, here you go!

* * *

Sunlight.

That was the first thing he vaguely registered, warming his eyelids and brushing gentle fingers across his cheeks. As he gradually became more aware, the soft sounds of the person beside him prompted him to shake off the elusive dreams that he’d been trying to hold on to. He dragged himself up out of the warm, dark depths of unconsciousness, blinking slowly and wiping sleep out of his eyes.

Fitz yawned as he properly woke up, smiling and looking over at the sleeping form next to him. Jemma was so beautiful in the mornings, a soft smile on her features, face relaxed in sleep. None of the anxiety of the day, her hair fanning out on the pillow behind her, warm rays bathing her pale skin in gold.

He reached over and moved a small strand of hair out of her face, caressing her cheek.

Wriggling slightly, Jemma buried her face in his chest, mumbling incoherent words. Fitz rubbed small circles into her back, massaging out the knots that work stress regularly left there. She snuggled further into his chest, flinging an arm around his waist. They stayed like that for a few all-too-brief minutes of eternity, both treasuring the soft, perfect moment.

Neither wanted to wake up and face a busy day. Neither wanted to let this go. And it was all too easy, in this quiet, sun-drenched room, to shut out the rest of the world and pretend that it was just the two of them.

After a while though, Fitz noticed that Jemma was tensing up, her relaxed expression being replaced by drawn eyebrows and a furrowed mouth. He frowned, moving slightly so that he could see her face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned, taking her perpetually cold hand and rubbing some warmth into it.

She opened her eyes and gave him a small smile. “It’s nothing much, really.”

“But it is something.” he pressed.

Jemma sighed, knowing he would immediately see through any lie she'd try telling to convince him she was alright. He knew her much too well. “Yes, of course it is. My birthday is in a few days.” she admitted.

Silently relieved that it wasn't something worse, but not quite satisfied with her answer, Fitz continued his gentle ministrations. “I know _that_. But shouldn’t you be happy about it?”

“Yes. And I am, in a way. I’m just...sad, I suppose, because of my family.” When Fitz tilted his head questioningly, she continued, “We always used to go down to the coast for a while around my birthday. With everything going on, I- I miss the tradition, the certainty of it. Now there's no more carefree laughter, I would be walking through an empty house alone.”

Fitz nodded in understanding, moving on to her other hand and massaging it expertly, gradually warming it up with his own. "I know. I would never give up SHIELD, but it _does_ take over your whole life."

"I'll say." Jemma scoffed, then her expression faded back into an almost resigned kind of nostalgia. "It was so nice back then, I didn't have anything to worry about. Wouldn't it be amazing to rewind the clock, just return to that time?" she wondered, looking up at the man lying next to her.

Fitz nodded thoughtfully, his mind only half on what she was saying. For him, everything made so much more sense now. Of course she’d miss her family traditions, the carefree days, SHIELD took all that away from you. It was just how the job worked, nothing to be done about that.

Unless…

Suddenly an idea sparked in his brain. Jemma couldn't go back to her childhood…But she could go back to the _place_ , to that beach.

All he had to do was organise it.

Jemma shook her head, seeming to shake herself awake, and jolted Fitz out of his thoughts in the process. "Alright, I have a whole day of analysing data to get to, and you also have a lot on your plate at the moment. Coulson wants us to work on a new project." she told him, stretching and getting up.

"I know, I know." Fitz sighed. "But you have to be in the lab earlier than me." He watched her get dressed and ready for the day, the morning routine as familiar and calming as the periodic table.

Once Jemma was dressed, she came over and kissed Fitz on the temple, lingering for a moment. He shut his eyes in pleasure. Although this happened nearly every morning, it never failed to bring him a sense of peace and contentment.

It was just…Jemma. In all her perfection, all her _imperfection,_ she managed to be the best goddamn thing that had ever happened to him, without even trying. He loved her so much it sometimes physically _hurt,_ as if the magnitude of his love couldn't be contained in his chest. To be away from her was torture, to be with her was the sweetest remedy. But the best thing was, he knew she felt the same. They'd jump through portals for each other, hell, they already had. They were endgame, and both of them knew it. It was comforting, reassuring, and as previously mentioned, the best thing in his life.

"I love you Jemma." The three little words bubbled out, unbidden, but they felt so _right_ to say.

She smiled at him, _his_ smile, the one that she reserved only for him. He'd been on the receiving end of that smile too many times to count, but it still made his heart do funny flips in his chest every single time he saw it.

"I love you too Fitz."

It hadn't been the first time they'd said it, nor would it be the last. But it was different from the rest, each time was. It seemed that his love for her only grew every time he talked about it, _thought_ about it. Even though that seemed impossible, he loved her so much already.

"I'll see you later when Coulson debriefs us." Jemma said on her way out of the door. Fitz nodded and smiled at her, so full of love, before getting out of bed himself.

He would go in a minute for his work-filled day, but there was something he needed to research first.

Something important.

\---

As the day wore on, Jemma got more and more confused. Fitz had been acting strangely since she'd told him about wanting to go down to the coast again. Had he found it weird? Didn't he like her talking about things like that? But that didn't even make any sense, he'd been perfectly fine this morning. And that wasn't how his mind _worked_.

He hadn't been like this since they'd been at the academy together, and he'd tried to keep a project from her because he'd thought she wouldn't agree with it. (She had, and she'd made it a lot better, but that was beside the point.)

The point was that Fitz obviously had a secret of some kind. That in itself wasn't a problem, any SHIELD agent worth their salt had a few secrets. No, what she couldn't figure out, was what it had to do with _her_.

She tried confronting him about it, three days after she'd first mentioned it. He'd been busy working at a computer (and she hadn't missed that he immediately closed whatever he was doing when she got there.)

"Fitz? Can I talk to you about something?" she asked, and he immediately blushed bright red, glancing furtively at the laptop and then back at her.

"Uh, yes, of course!" Scratching the back of his neck, he pretended that it had nothing to do with whatever he'd just been doing. Very obviously pretending though. “Uh, is it about the new project? Because I have it calibrated fully already, I just need the right dosage of-”

Jemma wasn't buying it, she cut across his rambling. "I know you Fitz, probably better than _anybody_ else. I know when you're hiding something, so don't bother telling me it's nothing. What are you keeping from me?"

Fitz pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering unintelligible words to himself and refusing to look her in the eye.

"What?" asked Jemma, straining to hear. “Could you just tell me what’s going on?!” she threw her hands up, exasperated and more than a little hurt that he wasn’t trusting her.

He dropped his hand, flinching a little at her raised voice, and spread his arms. "I said, you weren't supposed to find out like this!"

"Find out about what?" Jemma asked, channeling all her raw emotion into her next four words. The two of them hadn't had any secrets in so long, it was the strangest feeling not to be let into his life, or at least a small part of it. He never kept secrets from her, because he knew she'd usually be able to help him through it. It was the same for her. "Fitz, what. Is. It."

"It's nothing, OK? You don't need to know about it." he said, stance suddenly defensive.

That was the last straw. What did he have to be defensive about? "So this is how it's going to be? Fitz, we've known each other far too long for something like this to come between us. I don't care what your secret is, alright? Even if you're, well, _seeing somebody else_ , I want to know. _Don't_ keep me in the dark, please, Fitz. Just _tell me_!"

They were both startled at her outburst, Fitz's face paling as he realised what she must think of him. "Jemma, I swear it's nothing like that! It's, I… Let me show you."

He stared at her earnestly for a moment more before opening the laptop and navigating to a page he had open. Looking at Jemma all the while, he turned the laptop so she could see what he'd been doing.

On it were bookings for five plane tickets to Devon, England.

Jemma's expression moved from frustration, through to puzzlement and shame, finally settling on something between awe and amazement. "I- Is this…?" she couldn't finish her sentence, looking at the screen in wonderment.

Fitz nodded. "Yeah. You, me, May, Coulson and Daisy are going down to the coast for two weeks. Coulson is paying for the whole thing, so you should actually thank him, not me." A bit self-conscious all of a sudden, Fitz scratched the back of his neck. "I, uh, I didn't want you to find out yet, I was hoping to surprise you. I was going to tell you tomorrow, because that’s when we leave."

Jemma stared at him for a moment, not saying anything. Her heart swelled with relief and gratitude. This man, she thought. This amazing, wonderful man had heard she wanted to go back to the coast and had organised it, just because she was feeling nostalgic. And here she'd been, thinking he had a terrible secret, where all along he'd been doing it for _her_. She was so incredibly lucky to have him in her life, more so to have him as a boyfriend.

Fitz was getting nervous, fidgeting with the sleeves of his sweater. "I mean, if you don't want to go-"

But his worries were unfounded. Jemma launched herself into his arms, tucking her chin into his shoulder, arms around his neck. His own circled her waist and he shut his eyes thankfully.

"Thank you so much." Jemma whispered, the sound muffled against the material of his shirt. "I'm sorry for overreacting like that."

He hugged her tighter, relief coursing through him. He pressed a kiss into her hair, murmuring, "Of course. It's not your fault. I would do this over and over, a thousand times, if it meant you were happy."

“I know. And I would do the same for you.” She pulled back from the hug, kissing him briefly but with fierce emotion. “I have to go pack now, apparently.” she said, shaking her head with a slightly shocked laugh.

Fitz nodded, letting go of her waist. "I am sorry for keeping it from you, Jem. I wanted it to be a surprise, to make you happy after everything that's been going on." he said earnestly.

She frowned, not believing he was still apologising. "Oh, Fitz. Yes, I'll admit I did think you were keeping something from me, but I overreacted. And once I found out, I was so incredibly happy. Still am. So, you have absolutely nothing to apologise for, you're doing me a huge favour."

He nodded. "OK. And, it really is a pleasure."

Smirking, Jemma raised a suggestive eyebrow. "What, because you get to go to the beach and see me in a bikini for two weeks?"

Fitz grinned back at her, unable to keep the teasing laughter out of his voice. "While I'll be the first to admit that those are brilliant reasons, they're not my top ones."

She rolled her eyes, not bothering to hide the fondness behind it. "Alright, I suppose you've told everybody else?"

"Well yes, May and Coulson had to know of course, but Daisy still has no idea." he answered, nodding.

Jemma's eyes lit up at the prospect of seeing Daisy's expression. She grabbed Fitz's hand, dragging him to the kitchen where Daisy was sure to be at this time. "Well let's go and tell her then, packing can wait!"

\---

Daisy was sitting in the kitchen drinking coffee, as predicted. Finishing her drink as Jemma and Fitz entered, she sat back on the table, dangling her legs.

She gave them one look and set down her coffee cup, pointing between them suspiciously. "OK, you two have that look about you. What did you do? Because I swear to god, if there are British flags on my bunk again, I'll-"

Jemma shook her head, laughing at the memories. She and Fitz shared a glance and a smile, so plainly in love that Daisy pretended to gag. "No. Actually, we have something to tell you."

Immediately stopping her fake throwing up, Daisy froze. "Oh. My. God. Did you get a puppy? No if course not, wait, did you get _engaged_? Show me the ring! Oooh, or, Jemma are you _pregnant_? Can I be the godmother?" she rapidly fired off.

"Whoah whoah slow down there, Daisy, it's nothing like that! Why would you even _think_ that?!" When Daisy pouted disappointedly, Jemma sighed in fond exasperation and continued, "But, we are going on holiday."

Daisy’s eyes widened. “For your birthday? No, you have _got_ to be kidding me.”

Fitz looked over at Jemma, laughter in his eyes. “She can’t believe we’re going on holiday, and yet she thinks we’re getting married? She needs to sort out her priorities.”

“Yeah alright smart guy, whatever.” Daisy scoffed. “Make all the references you want, but are we all really going away? Where to? And hang on, did everyone know except me?”

Jemma cut in before Fitz could answer. “Yes, we’re really going, Fitz arranged everything. It’s for two weeks down at the coasts in Devon. And yes, you are the only one that didn’t know, although I just found out a few minutes ago.”

Daisy gasped, mock offended. “You really planned a whole holiday without telling me, Fitz? Well, I need to go pack right now!” She made to go off to her bunk, but Fitz stopped her with a hand on her arm.

“Wait, we still need to plan food, transportation and airport stuff. Could you get Coulson and May?” he asked, letting her arm go and gesturing to the door.

Daisy nodded, taking a deep breath and yelling, “Coulson! May! I need you!”

Jemma raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. “Not what I was expecting, but I suppose it works just as well.”

Smirking, Daisy watched Coulson and May enter the room hurriedly, both looking slightly worried. Coulson had a gun, May was already in an opening stance, fists raised. They relaxed when they saw that nobody was hurt, looking slightly annoyed at Daisy for scaring them.

“Alright, we’re here, there's no crisis. What do you need us for?” May asked in her usual no-nonsense manner.

“Well, _someone_ planned a vacation without me, and now he wants to discuss plans.” Daisy replied.

Coulson nodded sagely. “The plans for the parasailing?”

This time it was everybody except May who looked surprised.

“ _What?_ ”

“Parasailing?!”

“Oh my god-”

The three junior agents looked at each other and simultaneously cheered, drowning out Coulson’s _I thought you told them?!_ aimed at May.

She just rolled her eyes, walking out of the room to go pack.

\---

The next day, after much arguing, frantic planning and stress, they were all packed and ready at the airport. All five of them, (though May didn’t show it) were extremely excited for the trip, even though it was four in the morning and none of them had gotten much sleep. (Some of them had gotten exactly no sleep due to watching YouTube videos.)

So it was a disappointment for everyone when their flight was delayed. Something about bad weather conditions, Fitz hadn’t really heard. All he knew was that he’d planned all of this for Jemma, done all this effort and now it was being ruined. He'd gotten her hopes up, only to dash them like surf against sharp rocks.

As if sensing the direction of his thoughts, Jemma put a consoling hand on his arm. “Fitz. There is no universe in which this is your fault. You couldn't have known there would be a storm, and nobody, _including_ you, can do anything about it. It’s alright, really.” she reassured him, catching Coulson's proud gaze for a moment before looking back at Fitz.

He nodded uncertainly. “Well, we can at least go get something to eat, can’t we?”

Daisy agreed, chiming in, “I’m starving. Anybody know a good place?”

It was Jemma who answered, pointing to a small restaurant in a nook just around the corner. “I came here quite often, this one’s the best you’ll find.”

The five of them sat down to an early breakfast, waiting for the wind to clear up so their plane could leave. The food, when it arrived, was surprisingly good for an airport. Fitz, Coulson and Daisy had burgers, despite Jemma's horrified protestation of _you can't have burgers for breakfast, everyone knows that! It's terrible for your digestion._ May and Jemma ordered chicken salad.

Daisy stole bites of everybody’s, including May. (Fitz thought she’d definitely get a glare, but May just rolled her eyes and pushed her plate over so Fitz and Daisy could finish it.) (Which they promptly did.)

When they were all done eating, the five of them wandered around for a while, peeking into shops. They decided to get coffee at a stall, as Daisy was basically asleep on her feet and even May's shoulders were drooping slightly. Even Jemma, though she infinitely preferred tea, had a cup or two. May did not.

At last, two hours later and after a lot of coffee and yawning, the storm finally abated and they got onto the plane. There was minimal difficulty at the passport control, aside from the girl asking May and Coulson for Daisy's birth certificate. They had to explain that she was _not_ their child, and was just traveling with them. The girl looked surprised, but let them pass without further mishap.

On the airplane, Jemma had a window seat, with Fitz next to her and Daisy on his other side. May and Coulson were just across from them, in the middle row. What with the dark decor and closed windows, the three younger agents fell asleep almost immediately in a tangle of limbs and airplane blankets.

May looked at them with an unusually fond expression, a smile lighting her face. She glanced over at Phil, who had the exact same look. He caught her eye and smiled widely, nodding over at Fitz, who had started snoring softly. To the older agents’ amusement, Daisy slapped his head away in her sleep, turning over in her seat and muttering something not very complimentary about pigs.

“We can wake them for breakfast.” May told Coulson, still looking at the three sleeping forms. “But they can rest until then.”

“You can too, May, I slept a lot more than you last night.” He cut May off before she could start protesting. “I’ll wake you, don’t worry."

She frowned for a minute, before giving in and laying her head down on his shoulder. Within a few minutes, she was asleep as well. And so they flew high above the clouds, the noise of their fellow passengers failing to rouse them from their much-needed nap.

\---

As it turned out, Coulson didn’t keep his promise, as he’d also fallen asleep.

Jemma, surprisingly, was the first of the five of them to wake, jolted out of sleep by a sudden bout of turbulence. For a second she was disoriented, then she remembered. Glancing over at Daisy and Fitz, she saw the two ‘adults’. Her face split into a wide, gloating grin, and she immediately prodded Daisy awake.

“Huh?” her friend asked groggily.

Jemma pointed over at May and Coulson.

It was Daisy’s turn to grin, face lighting up delightedly, fully awake now. “Fitz!” she hissed, poking him in the side. She rummaged for her phone, pulling it out triumphantly just as Fitz sat upright.

Daisy quietly got up, sneaking over to the next row and snapping photo after photo of the two senior agents. “Yes! I knew it!” she whispered excitedly, ignoring the other passengers. The two were lying in their seats, May’s head pillowed on Coulson’s shoulder, his resting on top of hers. Their hands were clasped in between their seats.

Jemma _aaaaw_ ’ed as Daisy showed her the photo. “Send that to me, will you? It’s going to be my lockscreen for the next month!”

Daisy nodded vigorously in agreement, evil grin in place. "I wonder how long _that's_ been going on?"

Jemma raised her shoulders, saying innocently, "You'll have to ask them."

Her grin dropping, Daisy nodded apprehensively. "Yeah…You know what, that's their business right?"

Fitz scoffed. "Bit of a change in tune, that." He signalled to a nearby air hostess, choosing breakfast for the three of them. "Dais, d'you mind going to wake them up to eat? Don't say anything about the photos."

\---

The rest of the trip passed fairly uneventfully, except for May finding out about the photos and threatening to kill all three of them if they didn’t delete them. (They didn’t, anyway.)

Coulson just went quiet, albeit a little pink, and when he put his hand on May's shoulder, she calmed down and stopped vowing to wake them up at four every morning for tai chi. Which was even more surprising, and raised a few questions.

But those could wait, they had a whole holiday ahead of them.

When at last the plane touched down on the other side, the five agents got out and gratefully stretched their legs, breathing in the cool, clear air. Jemma got a tiny smile on her face as she looked at her surroundings, feeling a pang of nostalgia. She shook it off after a moment, they were here now after all. She had two weeks, and she was determined to make the most of them.

They got onto a bus with all their luggage, and drove down to the cottage they were staying in. Right on the beach, it was small but cosy, with a glorious view.

May immediately took charge in her brisk, businesslike way. “Okay, Phil, help me with these big suitcases. You three, go and unpack your own things, then come help with everything else. Once we’re done, we can all go down to the beach.”

They did as they were told, Fitz quipping a grumbled, “You do know we’re not kids anymore, right? “

Eagerly going up to the cottage, Daisy turned to face her two friends. “Are you sure we’re going to swim? It’s not exactly _warm_ , and I think it’s going to start raining soon.”

The two Brits exchanged an amused look. “It _always_ rains in England, Daisy.” Jemma told her.

“And yes, we do have to swim, it’s tradition.” Fitz took over from Jemma, looking at his girlfriend with adoring eyes, _knowing_ how much it meant to her.

Jemma smiled back at him, kissing him briefly and resting her forehead against his, smile radiant.

“OK, when you two are done being sickeningly adorable, can we go unpack?” Daisy asked, pretending to be annoyed but secretly delighted.

They rolled their eyes in perfect synchronisation, following their friend up the steps to the cottage.

Inside it was like the picture-perfect houses you always found on magazine covers. Wooden walls, white rugs, lots of glass and plants. Oh, and bullet-proof windows, of course, hidden by the tastefully coloured curtains.

Fitz shook his head as he looked around. He might have arranged the trip, but Coulson had gotten the accommodation, obviously with some help from May. Not that he was complaining, it was beautiful. He just hoped Jemma liked it as much as he did.

She did. Turning in a slow circle, she gazed around in wonderment, taking in the sights. “I love it,” she sighed dreamily.

Daisy agreed, glancing around at the subtle blue decor. “It’s beautiful.” she said, walking through the kitchen to find their rooms.

Daisy put her bag down on a double bed in one of the rooms, this one done up with shades of purple mixed in with the blue. Bouncing gently on the soft mattress, she grinned. “Oh, I definitely like this place.”

She went over to Jemma and Fitz's room, right next to hers. Theirs had orange highlights, with an enormous double bed as well.

They spent the next fifteen minutes unpacking as fast as they could, before throwing on swimming things and running down to the beach. May and Coulson followed at a more leisurely pace, carrying a picnic basket and drinks respectively.

They sat down on the smooth pebbles, each with a gin and tonic, sharing snacks between them as they watched the three junior agents.

It was nearing night, the sun bleeding reds and pinks into the clouds, lending the scene a spectacular dramatic effect. It painted a golden road on the water, at the end of which the three figures were silhouetted.

Jemma immediately became fascinated with the seashells she'd been collecting since she was young, wandering away to find more.

At least until Daisy and Fitz sneaked up behind her and threw a bucket of sea water at her.

She gasped at the cold, swiping her soaking wet hair out of her eyes and running after them, vowing revenge.

The three younger agents shrieked and splashed in the icy water, daring each other to stay in the longest and on the whole not acting like agents at all. (Nobody was there to see them, after all.) They skipped in and out of the surf, chasing waves and falling over each time they were hit, laughing hysterically through everything.

After a few minutes they ran up to Coulson and May, the cold finally having gotten too much for all of them. They sat on their towels, teeth chattering, shivering in the cool dusk air.

May took one look at them huddled up under towels, shaking her head at their antics. "Alright, I'm going to make some hot cocoa and get blankets ready."

The junior agents dried off vigorously, rubbing their arms in an attempt to warm up. When they'd gotten dressed up at the cottage, they were met by May holding three cups of steaming hot, decadent cocoa.

They took it thankfully, joining Coulson outside on the grass. All of them were quiet, sipping their drinks and listening to the surf breaking, content in the presence of the people they loved. Four of them were planning birthday presents, and one was thinking about an experiment she had running back at the base.

When they went to bed a while later, they slept better than they had in a long time.

\---

Jemma woke up early the next morning to a sudden bright light and loud singing. Coulson, May, Fitz and Daisy were singing 'happy birthday', all with gifts and huge smiles. (Well. May's wasn't huge, but it was there, and that was something in itself.)

Jemma sat up in bed, her own smile lighting her face.

"Happy birthday to youuuu!" they chorused, Daisy sticking her fingers in her mouth and whistling.

Wincing slightly at the piercing noise but still smiling, Jemma reached up and pulled Daisy down onto the bed beside her. Fitz grinned at his girlfriend, sitting down on her other side. (She must have been _extremely_ tired, she hadn't even woken up when he'd gotten out of bed.)

Coulson and May sat themselves down at the foot of the large bed, May holding out a badly-wrapped blue box. "I have many strong suits, but wrapping presents is _not_ one of them." she told Jemma ruefully.

Jemma reassured her, inwardly delighted that she'd found something agent May did _not_ excel at. Tearing open the wrapping, she found a see-through case with a biometer watch inside.

"I thought you'd like it." May said simply.

Jemma nodded, giving her a quick hug. May stiffened, relaxing into it for a moment and awkwardly patting Jemma's back.

Jemma beamed at the older woman, strapping on the watch and admiring it. "I love it!" she exclaimed.

Coulson was next with his (impeccably wrapped and decorated) present. He smiled at Jemma proudly, handing it over. "This is just something small, my real present is the parasailing," he warned.

Jemma nodded, opening the gift to find a small, beautifully crafted pendant shaped like an atom hanging on a delicate silver chain. She gasped, turning it over in her hands.

Coulson winked at her, pressing a small, hidden button on the side of the charm. The middle opened up, revealing a sizable cavity inside. "So that you can store a small amount of something." he explained. He pressed the button again and the secret compartment closed.

Grinning, Jemma lifted the chain over her neck, the pendant nestling against her chest. She thanked Coulston profusely, claiming that she'd never take it off.

Daisy eyed the pendant mock-jealously, before she broke and her smile burst out like the sun. She presented Jemma with her own gift.

It was a book, hard cover, with 'Women In Science' embossed on the deep maroon front page.

Jemma's grin got wider, and she threw her arms around her best friend, the two girls collapsing in a giggling heap. Daisy used her powers to gently tickle Jemma, adding to the chaos. "Thank you so much! This is the perfect book," Jemma laughed.

After a minute, they picked themselves up, still giggling occasionally, and Jemma put her book down safely on the bedside table.

Then Jemma turned to Fitz, who was the only one who hadn't given her a present yet.

She took the offered gift, carefully opening the paper. Her eyes widened as she took in the contents of a rectangular box. Fitz nodded in answer to her unspoken question.

Inside the box, nestled in red velvet, was a crystal. "Fitz, you didn't…How did you even _get_ this, it's worth a _fortune_!"

Fitz nodded proudly. "Authentic alexandrite, straight from the mines. And… Better not to ask about where it comes from."

Jemma laughed in delight. "I've wanted one of these for so long! It's gorgeous, and it's scientific properties are so numerous." she said, examining the deep red crystal closely. "Did you know it changes colour in the night, from red to green? Worth looking into, definitely. I cannot wait to start experimenting on this!"

When everyone had finished ooh-ing and aah-ing over the various presents, they all went to the kitchen for breakfast.

Jemma had requested pancakes, to the delight of Fitz. The options were chocolate chip and blueberry, or bacon, thanks to Coulson's amazing cooking. It was delicious, and everyone stuffed themselves, to the point that Daisy groaned and rubbed her stomach. May rolled her eyes, fondly berating her.

Then it was time to pack.

Parasailing was definitely something none of them had done before, so they had no idea what to pack and how to go about it. They muddled through, with the help of Google and Coulson's limited knowledge.

They called a taxi, climbing in and driving for about half an hour until they got to the correct part of the beach where they would meet the boat.

Parasailing, as Coulson had explained, was basically hanging from a parachute, being pulled along behind a boat on a long rope. Fitz especially was looking forward to it a lot, with Jemma almost vibrating in excitement beside him.

They got into the special wetsuits, getting ready and trying to calm their nerves. Daisy looked slightly green, but that might just have been from all the pancakes.

It was a glorious day, blue sky blending almost seamlessly with the sea, which was calm, foam cresting on the tops of waves. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, they could see out for kilometres. In the distance, a pod of dolphins jumped, the sunlight reflecting off their shiny sides.

Jemma strapped herself in, squeezing Fitz's hand and smiling excitedly.

Then she was off, yelling in excitement as she got pulled up into the air, speeding along, the wind blowing her ponytail back in a sheet behind her.

It felt like flying. As a small girl, Jemma had always dreamed of being up in the sky, seeing the world from a bird's vantage point. Years later, she'd gotten that view, through a plane window. Then again, briefly, falling through clouds on her way down to the cold hard earth.

This was different. She could relax, knowing that the rope would hold, the boat would keep going. The wind squirmed in under her harness, adding to the feeling that she was free, flying up here on her own. She whooped, shouting her joy out loud at the world.

It was over too soon, she came back down to earth out of breath with flushed cheeks and wild hair, the biggest smile she'd probably ever worn on her face. On an impulse, she kissed Fitz, her hands on his arms, his in her hair.

When she pulled back, he breathed deeply, eyes sparkling. "What was that for?"

Jemma shrugged, still beaming. "I love you, is all. And parasailing."

He laughed, the sound carefree and joyful, music to her ears.

May watched the two of them with a tiny smirk. Those two were so plainly in love, she planned on giving Jemma a little talk. And maybe some advice on proposals. "Oh, to be young and in love." she whispered to Coulson.

He smiled down at her. "You don't have to be that young." he said softly.

Daisy's eyebrows shot up, having heard that last part. She was just about to grill them, but unfortunately (fortunately?) she was next in line for the parasailing. Off she went, screaming a good deal more than Jemma had before she relaxed into it, using her powers to steer herself from side to side.

Watching from below, Jemma marveled at how small she looked. Had she really been up there just a second ago? And had she really not been scared?

Then she looked over at Fitz, watching Daisy with a grin. Of course she hadn't been scared, she'd known everything would be alright. Fitz had, too, which counted a lot, in her opinion. He was going to enjoy this so much, she was so grateful he'd given them all this chance. He was extremely thoughtful like that, picking up on the smallest wishes and making them a reality.

He looked over, catching her eye, and took her hand. They stood like that for a while, until Daisy came down. She was speechless, beaming.

"Fitz…you've, got… to… go!" she gasped out. "It's amazing!"

Jemma nodded encouragingly, smiling at him to let him know it was his turn. He grinned back, giving her hand a last squeeze before he strapped himself in and lifted off. May went after him, and lastly Coulson.

When they'd all had their turns, Daisy suggested ice cream. "You know, my treat, as it _is_ your birthday, Jems."

Jemma led them all to one of her childhood favourite spots, right on the beach. They ate, Jemma sitting next to Fitz, their knees brushing.

As she sat there, her friends beside her, in her favourite ice cream shop, she watched her two worlds mingling. And she thought, were the two really that different?

Of course, SHIELD was work, and her childhood had been play, mostly. But in a way, they were the same thing. Both had been made special by the people she had, the people she loved.

They were different places, but a place wasn't home without the people who were there with you. Her home, at the moment, was as much with this group as here in England.

She'd had almost all the birthdays of her life here, until she'd gone to America. Now she'd come full circle, back to where she'd started. She put her hand on Fitz's knee as she thought, and felt his hand come down on hers. But it was with their people from her new life, or rather a new _era in_ her life.

And this birthday, among all the others, stood out. Not just because of all they'd done, (though that had been amazing,) but because of the people that had made it all possible. They were small, and messed up, but they were a family, and they were hers. They meant the world to her.

They were home.


End file.
